The Hand of Fate
by majiklmoon
Summary: Michael says Goodbye to Maria, or does he. How the Michael and Maria scene in Departure should have really happened!


THis is in total rough form. I had an idea while driving last night. I should have stopped and written right then. This is what I came up with after letting the idea slide for a night. I am not happy with the results, so any and all feedback and suggestions will be greatly appreciated  
  
I own nothing, the song is I Can't Hold Back, by Survivor. The characters belong to Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox and the Sci Fi Channel. If they were mine, things would have turned out differently  
  
Rating: PG  
  
  


**The Hand of Fate**

  
  
Michael Guerin didn't want very much out of life. A family; a home; a place where he belonged. Sure, there were Max and Isabelle, but they had each other, and parents who loved and cared about them. Mr. Evans may be a monopoly nazi, but still, he cared about his kids. All Michael ever had was a string of lousy foster parents who didn't care about him. They were in it for the monthly check. But now it looked like he was going to get his chance, to go home. All of them were. Michael couldn't wait to leave. Finally, he was going to go home. All of them were. Max, Isabelle, Tess and himself. He was so excited. He felt like he was going to meet his destiny after all this time.  
  
_There's a story in my eyes  
Turn the pages of desire  
Now it's time to trade those dreams  
For the rush of passion's fire_  
  
There was only one problem, Maria. How could he leave Maria? She was so special, so good, so sweet. He didn't know how he would have survived these past few years without her. The fates were so cruel to give him this one good thing. Something he would have to give up to achieve his goal. He was a fool. Maria just gave and gave to him, and all he did was take. He held so much of himself back from her, he knew it, she knew it, and it hurt the two of them. But he just couldn't seem to allow himself to let go. To give into her love and open himself up to her; to let her see who he really was.   
  
Michael cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, and cooked Maria's favorite meal. Saying goodbye to her was going to be hard, but he had to tell her he was leaving. He didn't think a clean apartment and spaghetti were going to make it any easier, but it was worth a shot.  
  
When she arrived, Maria was speechless at the change in the apartment, but she was more stunned when Michael pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. "I love you Maria, I always have, and I always will," he whispered to her. He could feel her tremble in his arms.  
  
"Oh my God, who died now," she said as she pulled away from him in fear. Michael felt like a complete jackass. Was he that insensitive, that one expression of love made her thing that crisis was eminent? It was, but that wasn't the point.  
  
"Maria, nobody died, but, I do have to tell you something," he said as he led her to the couch.  
  
"I love you Maria, but it's time for me to leave." "I'm going home."  
  
"What do you mean?" Maria asked. "You are home."  
  
"Not home here, but home home," he said.  
  
Realization dawned on Maria's face followed quickly by tears. She didn't say anything, she just held him tightly.  
  
"When are you leaving?" she asked in a tear thickened voice.  
  
"Soon, a few hours." "Maria, I have so much I want to, no, I need to say to you." "You will never know how much you have done for me." "You loved me, when nobody else could or would." "And more important, you taught me how to love." "But, for so long, I held back from you." "And I know it hurt you." "It bothered you that Liz got those flashes from Max."  
  
"No, no really Michael, those weren't important."  
  
"Yes they were, they are important." "You deserve them, and the reason you never go them was because of me." " I was afraid to let you in, let you get close to me." "I didn't want to take the chance that you could hurt me."  
  
"Michael, I wouldn't hurt you." "I love you."  
  
_I can feel you tremble when we touch  
And I feel the hand of fate  
Reaching out to both of us  
I've been holding back the night  
I've been searching for a clue from you  
I'm gonna try with all my might  
To make this story line come true_  
  
"I know that Maria, or at least my heart knows it, but my head wouldn't listen." "But now, before it's too late, I want to see me, my life." He kissed her passionately, and in her mind, she saw him climb out of his pod. The horrible series of foster homes, the incredible need for a family and a home. But the thing that stood out, was her. She saw herself in almost every flash, and she saw just how much Michael loved her.  
  
"Michael, that was beautiful." "I wish we had forever, but I can give you now," she whispered to him.  
  
Michael stood up, and swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. Their lovemaking was tender and passionate and far to short.  
  
"I'm not going to cry," said Maria. "I know you have to go, and I won't ask you to stay." "You've been searching for so long for something, and now is your chance to go and find it." "I won't hold you back Michael Guerin." "I love you too much to do that."  
  
_Can ya feel me tremble when we touch  
Can ya feel the hand of fate  
Reaching out to both of us  
This love affair can't wait  
  
I can't hold back, I'm on the edge  
(I can't hold back)   
You voice explodes inside my head  
I can't hold back, I won't back down  
Girl it's too late to turn back now_  
  
  
Michael kissed her one last time and walked out the door without looking back. Maria gathered her belongings and prepared to leave. She got into her car and drove towards home. Suddenly, she yanked hard on the steering wheel and reversed direction. She drove as fast as the jetta would go out to the desert, to where the granolith was hidden. She got out of her car and ran up to the large mountain of rocks and banged with all her might. Suddenly, the wall opened up, and Michael stepped out.   
  
_Another shooting star goes by  
And in the night the silence speaks to you and I  
And now the time has come at last  
Don't let the moment run too fast  
I can feel you tremble when we touch  
And I feel the hand of fate reaching out to both of us  
There's a story in my eyes, turn the pages of desire  
Now it's time to trade those dreams  
For the rush of passion's fire_  
  
  
"I was so stupid Maria." "How could I not realize that everything I wanted was here, with you?" "You are my home, my family, my world." "As long as I have you, I'll never be alone."  
  
With their arms around each other, they walked away from the granolith and towards their new life, together.  
  
_Can ya feel me tremble when we touch  
Can ya feel the hand of fate  
Reaching out to both of us  
This love affair can't wait  
  
I can't hold back, I'm on the edge  
(I can't hold back)   
You voice explodes inside my head  
I can't hold back, I won't back down  
Girl it's too late to turn back now_


End file.
